Texturing plastic for armor, diorama and figure modelers

[John Howling Mouse]

A household cleaning product called "Goof-Off" will remove virtually anything: gum, glue, ink, oil, sticker residue, etc.

You can use this product to purposely roughen a plastic surface as it really makes some good texture: concrete and stone finishes on dio's, rough cast metals on armor, leather and fabric textures on figure kit clothing which was molded too smoothly.

Although there's not much in the way of warnings on the tin, always wear latex gloves and work in a ventilated area with this stuff: an approved chemical filter mask is even better.  Always spot-test the Goof-Off on the inside of a part from your kit as I've found it has varying degree of effect on different plastics.  Kits made in USA often seem to hold up well whereas kits from China/Taiwan react quite strongly.

[GTX]

Thanks for the tip...mind you any product named "Goof-Off" seems to make me think of something totally different .

Regards,

Greg

[puddingwrestler]

Any idea about international names/variants or equivilents.

[Daryl J.]

It is, if I recall correctly, a tolulene based cleaner....or in other words, Testors Tube glue in a spray can.   

It's pretty hot in terms of solvency.    We still have a can of it from when my staff tried to clean a house-paint spill off my autoclave at work.   It stripped not only the house paint, but the finish right off the sterilizer........nothing like ruining the finish of a brand new $5,000 instrument.   

For what JHM suggests, I think it would work brilliantly.